Latch



Aug. 16, 1949.- A. F. LICKTEIG LATCH Filed March 18, 1946' b R S 6 MM mw/o. n e w 7 2 ON 3 nu m m N ON 3 V T R 2 5 5% 4 4 fl. M M N h 7 2 M m a. w ,8 m L ;W 1w B 5 Patented Aug. 16, e 1949 t rone- Albert F. Lickteig, Grand Rapids, lvliczh zassignon,

to National Brass Compan-y Grand Bapifls,"

Michl, a.corpcrationlof'Michigan.. Application March 18, 1946Serial Niie655140 2 cl ims. (c1. weir-1'69);

This invention'is concerned cwith latches and more particularly with latchestonbe,appliedqto light weight doors, forexample;screemdoorszor; the-like.v

It is a: primary object 'of:th'e present: invention? to produce an improvedx latch ofazthis character, reducing cost of manufacture, ease and,;readi.'-;.- ness of assembly'and-y enhance operating efliciency, the latch which has been developed being readily retracted automatically upon closing the.;.door,. with, the .oyer.con ling-.;, of thestrength-of a light spring, and being manuaJlY 0per,ated ionr withdrawing the latch bolt to open the door, against a springof greater strength.-

An., understanding of theinvention maybe had from the following description ltaken in-cQImecrtionwith the accompanying drawing, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is -a fragmentaryLhorizontal section through adoor and its cooperating keeper earsrying door casing or jamb, the latch being shown in plan.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section through the latch.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section therethrough.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the latch housing, the inner latch bolt assembly within the housing being shown in elevation and the bolt retracted through manual operation.

Fig. 5 is a like view with the keeper engaging bolt retracted by engaging with the keeper when the door is closed. 1

Figs. 6 and 7 are transverse vertical sections through the latch, the section of Fig. 6 being substantially midway between the ends of the latch housing or casing, and in Fig. '7 at the rear portion of the latch mechanism within said housin and a Fig. 8 shows in perspective the latch housing, the latch bolt assembly, and the transverse operating spindle in disassembled relation.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The door hinged for swinging movement between open and closed positions, has the latch mounted at its free vertical edge which, when the door is closed, comes into close proximity with the adjacent vertical edge of the door casing or jamb 2. An opening 3 is mortised in the vertical edge of the door casing and a metal keeper plate 4 is secured in place in the usual manner at the edge of the door casing, having an opening therethrough in ing 3.

The latch includes an outer housing or casing iswhich, preferablyg is'nfr aznylindricalcartridge:

formgcopentatdts .outersend'zand havingesagclosedr end A'short'nistancwfrom?its closed end glia-i metrically: oppositeecircular; open-ingszil rare 011132 irmthe ssidesnofstheeheusing ,5: f01'f thef ;paj$ Sag e-5 therethrou'ghh of "L the.= latch operating spindle.-. Sucrmspindlea iss made: from a:;=bar,-;preferablyy squaredrrzarossrsection includirlgetwoeend:sectionse s and :anzrirrtermediateetroughelike section? 9-4111 substantiahasemiecylindrical:ioutlinesateitsouter,

conjunction with the opensides of the ..do.or.

sidei: .andahaying. astrian 'ulan:shapcdeelongated-r recess at itscpposite sidewtheiradiussof.curvature? of the outersidepii thecpartqabeing the,sameas thei-radiusz of rcunvaturer-pf -the:-,openings.-. ,1.,, The sections,Bgarethreadedat theirwollners andi doon: knebssl 0-.escrewedthereon which, at ,theirlinnen. ends-, engage .with escutcheonsi I l: at ;opposite. when, the latch; is..m,onnted.. thenecnas h wndniFig l... V I

The latch assembly, which is inserted within the housing or casing 5 at its open end, includes a latch bolt l2, the outer end bevelled in the usual manner, and having a transverse diameter slightly less than the interior diameter of the casing 5. At its inner portion the bolt is reduced in diameter, as indicated at l3, and from its inner end partly into the bolt head I2 a central vertical slot I4 is cut. The bolt is axially bored from its inner end nearly to its outer end for the reception of a coiled spring l5 of relatively light strength. A horizontal pin l6 passes through the inner end portion of the bolt as shown.

A retractor element, preferably, made of two identical plates 11 of flat metal is provided, the plates lying side by side and being permanently connected together by welding, brazing or in an equivalent manner; It is inserted in the slot I4 at its front end and is provided with a horizontal slot |6a through which the pin l6 passes. At the front ends of said plates l1 upper and lower shoulders l8 are made, the outer ends of which come substantially to the inner sides of the housing or casing 5 (Fig. 3). At their inner end positions the plates l1 are widened, as indicated at l9, so that their edges likewise come substantially to the opposite inner sides, of the housing 5, and through such widened portions, openings as shown at 20 are cut, are shaped at their front ends, and at their rear ends having triangular projection-s 2| extending thereinto. Said plates I1 at their inner ends are reduced in width and bent in opposite directions as shown in 22 for a short distance, terminating in outwardly bent tongues 23 which lie closely adjacent opposite ends of the trough section 9 and hold the spindle 8 against longitudinal movement. A coiled spring 25 of greater strength than the spring I is located around the latch bolt assembly hearing at its front end against the shoulders l8. At its rear end in the assembled structure, it bears against two pairs of shoulders 24, pressed inwardly in the upper and lower sides of the housing 5, which serve not only for the end of the spring 25 to bear against, but also as guides for the retractor element made of the plates I1.

In the assembly on the door, said door is bored with a horizontal opening for the latch housing,

as shown in Fig. l and assembly therewithin, is door is also transversely in the latch housing 5. is passed through the the openings 20 in front of the triangular pro-v jections 2|, one of the knobs being removed during such assembly and later replaced. Such assembly is very quickly performed. It is evident that on turning either knob in either direction, the entire latch bolt assembly may be retracted, as shown in Fig. 4, by the action of the intermediate section 9 of the spindle against the edges of the projections 2|. The outer end of the latch it, with the latch bolt bored at the openings 1 The operating spindle 8 bolt l2, when the door is closed as'in Fig. 1,

enters the'keeper 4 as shown, and 'on turning a door knob as described, such projecting head is withdrawn freeing the door for opening. Spring 25 is compressed, the pin 16 at the outer end of the slot 1 6a serving to withdraw the bolt l 2 when the retractor element is thus operated.

In closing the door, the bevelled edge of the bolt 12 striking against thekeeper plate 4 is pushed in against the lighter resistance of the spring l5 until the keeper opening is reached, whereupon the bolt is forced outwardly by said spring |5 into the keeper opening as shown in openings 1" and through inserted therein. The

Fig. 1. In Fig. 5, the bolt is shown retracted in the position it occupies while riding over the keeper plate to its bolt receiving opening.

The construction described is of practical, simple economical form. It is readily manufactured and assembled and is easily installed on a door.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A latch comprising a housing having an open outer end, a retractable latch bolt located in the housing and projecting through said open end, a retractor connected to said latch bolt and slidably mounted in said housing, said retractor having an opening with a cam surface on an edge thereof, spring means acting to project said latch bolt, a rotatable spindle having a trough shaped cam portion extending through said opening in the retractor and engageable with said cam surface thereon and tongues extending laterally from said retractor and engageable with the ends of said trough section.

2. The elements of claim 1 in which said retractor is made of two fiat plates, the inner end of each of which is bent laterally to form said tongues.

ALBERT F. LICKTEIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 

